


Silence is a Virtue

by Uhmeduh



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Avatar Katara (Avatar), Fluff, Gen, Katara just doesn’t speak, Mentor Roku, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Roku is Katara’s “grandfather”, Short Chapters, Some Plot, There’s a spider cat named Fan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:43:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14153952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uhmeduh/pseuds/Uhmeduh
Summary: Aang was 98 years old when he succumbed to the ice, the Avatar State no longer strong enough to keep the hypothermia at bay. Katara was born a moment later, silent with blue eyes that knew too much.





	1. Prologue

Aang was 12 years old when he left the Southern Air Temple, the only place that had ever been his home. Aang was 12 years old when the storm hit. Aang was 12 years old when he was taken over by the Avatar state and frozen in the ice with his flying bison.

Aang was 98 years old when he succumbed to the ice, the Avatar State no longer strong enough to keep the hypothermia at bay.

 

Katara was born silent, barely moving. It worried her mother and everyone else in the room at the time of her birth. They were relieved when she finally started crying, but she was still too quiet, staring at everyone around her with eyes that seemed to know too much. No one noticed the ice of the room cracking at the sound of her piercing cries, why would they, they were too busy being concerned over the infant herself.

Katara spoke her first word at the age of 2 years old and then didn’t speak again for 2 more months. Kya and Hakoda had accepted their daughter as mute at that point and Sokka loved his little sister how she was, so they were pleasantly surprised when she spoke for the first time. Despite being able to speak, she didn’t often tell her parents what she thought, mostly using her voice for simple things like asking for another bowl of stewed prunes. She didn’t tell her parents of the time that she fell through a patch of thin ice when she wandered off and the water had reacted to her panic and deposited her on a thicker patch of ice. She didn’t tell them about the old man wearing the rich red cloth that would tell her stories when her parents were fast asleep.

Katara was 5 when her brother discovered her playing with little animals she had made out of snow and asked how she was making them move without using her hands. Their parents didn’t find out about Katara’s bending abilities for another year, at which point they had discovered when the walls to their village were slowly being turned to thick ice instead of merely dense snow. Her grandmother left once she found out and returned a minute later with two scrolls, the first waterbending scrolls Katara would even see. She studied them furiously.

Katara was 6 and a half when they had to quickly burn the scrolls, the young girl having only mastered one of them. Katara stared at the Fire Nation soldiers that walked through their village, not knowing why they had to burn her scrolls. She did not equate the red with anger, it was the same red that the man that told her stories wore, the same man that had told her to call him “grandfather”. She gave one of the soldiers that looked especially like the old man a smile, and to her surprise he smiled back, and handed her a candy in a flavour she was unfamiliar with. It was sweet and it lingered on her tongue for weeks after, no matter how much meat or stewed prunes she ate. The soldiers stayed for 2 days, eating their food and making everyone except Katara afraid. She didn’t understand why they were afraid. Katara was the only one that sat on the top of the wall and watched their ship leave, a bag of some sort of spicy treat in her lap, a pai sho piece in her hand, and a piece of parchment with an unfamiliar name on it clutched tight.

When Katara was 8, she understood why her village all feared the red cloth. She was sitting in her mother’s wardrobe, studying the small wooden piece and looking over the name for the thousandth time when the man in red walked in. She watched the man argue with her mother, the words muffled by the thick doors of the wardrobe. She watched her mother’s eyes fill with alarm and bravery when the man turned to the wardrobe she was in, though the man didn’t know Katara was inside. She watched her mother say something and watched her be cut down viciously. It wasn’t the first time Katara had seen blood, but it was the first time that she had ever felt truly angry. Katara remained in the wardrobe for hours, staring blankly at her mother’s body as her grandfather talked to her in soft words, soothing her. It took 4 hours for her father to find her and pull her silent body into his arms, holding her to his chest as he brought her to Sokka, her older brother already nestled into a power of words. She heard him tell Sokka something, but she didn’t listen. She understood parts of it, her father telling Sokka of how she had seen it happen. She didn’t know which “it” he was talking about, but she didn’t care either.

Katara was 9 when she kissed her older brother on the temple, a backpack over her shoulders, a pai sho piece in her pocket, and a piece of parchment clutched in her hand. She was 9 years old when she climbed into the little boat with her grandfather pleading with her to go back to her bed. She was 9 years old when she ignored him and set her pack down in the bottom of the boat, her hands flowing and making the water around her move, a trick that her grandfather was starting to wish he hadn’t taught her. Katara was 9 years old when she laid down, her head on her pack as she allowed the sea to take her where it wanted her to go, full trust in the water beneath her.


	2. Waterbending Mastery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara finishes her mastery of waterbending under the instruction of her “grandfather”, never once wondering why he teaches her waterbending but wears red. She has a few misconceptions about earthbending.

Katara blinked her eyes open, the sun beaming down on her face with her boat docked on a rocky beach. There was a small animal peering down at her that soon let out a feeble mew. It was clearly just a child, as she was and it leapt away as she sat up. Katara stared at it silently before smiling and reaching back to her pack, pulling out a piece of dried jerky and offering it to the animal that she soon realized must have been a spider cat. Upon realizing Katara wouldn’t help her, the spider cat instantly became more affectionate, moving closer to Katara and curling up to her as Katara ate small pieces of jerky to quell her appetite. Katara looked up at her grandfather with a soft smile.

“What?” She merely continued to smile silently as he grumbled, his arms crossed as he looked down at her. “Do you want name recommendations or something? Wait- you-” he sighed and rubbed his temples, an action that Katara had never really understood that adults did. She found it to be mildly painful any time she did it. She watched as her grandfather continued on, it wasn’t like he really expected a response from her. She had rarely talked before her mother died, and hadn’t spoken a word since. “Fine. Bao, Fen, Fang…” 

“Lian, Min, Shu, Fan-” Katara held her hand up with a wide smile and Roku rolled his eyes, “Finally! You’re such a picky child, you know that? Your spider cat too,” he grumbled as Katara merely nodded and picked the spider cat, now named Fan up in her arms. Katara spun away from him as she stepped out of her boat, walking out into the forests before her, unafraid as she went out to explore.

“You’re lost. How are you lost, its been ten minutes!” Katara sent Roku a glare and pursed her lips, glad she had taken a fabric bag with her as she had now filled it with different fruits she had found. She turned up her nose and immediately started to walk in the opposite direction, her braid and spider cat following behind. Roku huffed at her insolence and started to follow behind her, shaking his head. He soon blinked in surprise when they were back at the beach and looked closely at Katara. “You weren’t lost, were you?” Of course, Katara stayed silent. Even if she were a chatty person, she wouldn’t have told him that she had actually been lost and that it had been Fan that had lead them all back to the boat. 

Katara climbed back into her boat, settling down and pulling out a knife that she had taken from their weapons stores a mere year ago. No one had known that she had taken it, her brother was firmly of the belief that she should never have to fight. She supposed that her grandmother may have known, she seemed to know many things, but she had never brought up the topic. She looked down at it, letting it reflect in the light with a soft smile. It was about as long as her forearm and it had been a bit hard to wield at first, but she had gained some finesse in it. 

She shivered and pulled her hood up, cutting one of the smaller fruits into two pieces, handing one to Fan. She had once asked her grandfather why he didn’t eat, but he just said that he was dead. She supposed dead people didn’t really need to eat, but she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t anyway, fruit was very good after all. Katara let out a quiet breath and pulled off her gloves, setting them in her lap with Fan as she reached over the edge of the boat, dipping her fingers into the water. She closed her eyes and nodded to herself, she had travelled quite far overnight, the water was much much warmer than it was at home.

 

It was weeks later that Katara’s boat docked on a sandy island and she climbed out, staggering slightly. She had been on her boat in the open water for the past few days and she had forgotten quite how walking felt. She set Fan down and started to wander out to the centre of the island. She had thought that she heard voices and it would be nice to see another human other than her grandfather.  
Katara had zoned out as she walked and soon bumped into a green dress, quickly looking up and then looking around. She was surrounded by women in green dressed with elaborate makeup that made some sort of feeling rouse inside of her. She noticed soon that they were just girls like her, some of them around her age and some a bit older. They relaxed upon seeing that she was, to them at least, non threatening and not dangerous in any way.

“Hello, little one.” The oldest of the girls, a young woman with a smooth voice that reminded her of her mother’s said to her, “What’s your name?”

Katara stared back at them and just gave them a hesitant smile as one of the girls, perhaps only a year older than her blinked in realization. “I’m Suki. Do you speak?”

Katara sighed in relief, shaking her head. She didn’t know why, but she really been able to bring herself to speak after her mother had died. She never really spoke before, preferring to only speak when necessary and really only to her mother and grandfather. After she had died, she hadn’t really seen the point. Especially not if she was capable of getting her point across.

The older woman nodded, “We have been following you since you docked on our beach in your boat. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, but if you wish to leave we would not be opposed to providing you with some supplies you need. You’re but a child, I doubt you have much money of your own.”

Katara puffed her cheeks out slightly at the child comment, but bowed slightly in thanks anyways, ignoring her grandfather’s rather boisterous laughter. She had been running low on food and she knew that she needed some lighter coloured clothes, preferably green ones that would help her blend in. She had read the few scrolls they had many times, she knew that in the Earth Kingdom they often wore greens and browns, usually light thin fabrics as well. No one wore the thick furs she was used to, or the deep blue. She didn’t want to give it up, but she knew that it would be needed for her to blend in, and that her family was at home if she ever needed to go back.

The woman placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and led her into the town, telling her that Suki, the girl that had realized she didn’t speak, was her daughter and that since they were around the same size she could probably fit in Suki’s clothes. Suki was already happily chatting, telling Katara that while she stayed there the two of them could share a room and be kind of like sisters. And while Katara felt a pang in her heart as she thought of Sokka, her older brother with the same enthusiasm and smile as Suki, she smiled right back and nodded. At least she would have some form of companionship.

Suki and her mother brought Katara to their house and Suki helped Katara change into one her her casual, light green dressed with a strip of brown fabric that tied around her waist. Katara looked in a sheet of polished metal as Suki assured her that she looked beautiful. Katara thought she looked out of place, and that her blue eyes stood out in a way that told of who she really was. But Katara smiled and bowed in thanks, following Suki as the older girl lead her on a tour of the house.

 

Katara didn’t stay with Suki and her mother for long. She was thankful for their hospitality but she knew this wasn’t the place for her. Her grandfather had told her the day before that she had mastered waterbending when she had suspended the rain around herself with ease, turning it into a large floating orb that she had made into various shapes. She didn’t understand what he meant when he told her to try bending earth, from what she had read benders could only bend their own element. Katara eventually figured that he had probably meant bending the water in the earth, and slowly she tried. It was hard, very hard, she figured it was because there was much less water, but she managed to float a rock before the action became too exhausting. She was amazed that she could use her waterbending in that way, and vowed to get even better at it. That was why she was leaving. She thought, perhaps, that if she studied how an earthbender did things that she could imitate them and replicate it through her own methods. Katara had wondered for a moment why no one had ever thought of it, but she figured that it had just never been written down, after all, her grandfather knew about it.

And so there she was again, on her little boat with a full sack of provisions and Fan in her lap, the little spider kitten having grown a surprising amount in the short time since Katara had gotten her. She also ate a lot more, so Katara was thankful for the new dried and fresh meat that Suki had packed into her bag before their tearu goodbye. She was upset to leave her friend, but she knew that she would see Suki again one day.

Katara closed her eyes and grinned, holding her hands up and pushing them apart, the small boat racing through the water at high speeds as she looked at the map open in her lap, making her way towards the mainland of the Earth Kingdom. She knew that soon she would have to abandon her boat and start making her way over land and she was sad about that, but she was more excited to learn the new potential her bending had. She was confident that after she became proficient in her pseudo earthbending that she could do the same with airbending, but she was a bit sad. She remembered the man in red lighting a fire for them when the icy winds had frozen their hands so they could not wield their flint as deftly as usual and he had just blown fire into their fire pit. She doubted she would be able to use her method to firebend, fire had no moisture in it. Fire took away moisture. Still, she had hope for the other two elements.

Roku sighed as he looked at the little Avatar, she had seemed confused when he told her that she had mastered waterbending and to try earthbending. He just hoped she hadn’t gotten the wrong idea about it.


	3. Earth Kingdom Woes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara can't sleep in trees.

Katara didn’t really like the mainland of the Earth Kingdom. Everyone kept to themselves, a fact that she appreciated, but it also felt cold. There was no one around that looked like her, and anyone she saw wearing red always looked at her suspiciously, especially when they saw her blue eyes. Her grandfather was seeming to be leading her somewhere but she was basically lost. All it all it made her rather nervous.

Katara let out a huff of breath and sat down at the edge of a rocky beach, the water lapping at her bare feet when she took her shoes off. She had let Fan roam around to try and hunt something, the spider cat had grown remarkably large in the short time since she had gotten her, now almost up to her knee. Everything was just so overwhelming, and she was starting to regret leaving her home. She knew that she was close enough that if she had wanted to she could return, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to learn her pseudo earthbending, and she didn’t want all the surveillance she would get if she returned home. Katara stood, wading out into the water to where it just wet the bottom of her pale green dress, holding out her hands. Waterbending always soothed her. She started moving the water back and forth to warm herself up, falling into a meditative state as she went through her forms.

“Hey!” The water that had been forming a ring around her quickly fell down with a large splash as she spun to face the woman that had harshly called her attention. She had almost glowing yellow eyes and sharp, angled features. Almost everything about her screamed danger to Katara, and she took a subconscious step back further into the tide. The red seemed further illustrate the sharpness of her features, unlike the man that had given her the pai sho piece where the red merely just seemed like a part of him. “You were just waterbending! Who are you, where are you from, and why are you here?” Every word seemed punctuated and Katara couldn’t help the quickening of her breath or the way the water swirled around her form in her panic. She could see the woman becoming more agitated at her lack of response. The woman seemed to lose her patience and stepped into the water, not thinking of how it put her at a disadvantage as her hand shot out to try and grab Katara’s wrist. Katara didn’t think, she just froze the water around the woman’s feet and ran out of the ocean, sweeping up Fan in her grasp as she ran into the dense forest, the woman struggling behind her. She knew she would have to go more inland, they would think that as a waterbender she would follow the coastline as she had been doing before. It was a mistake she had made once and one that she wouldn’t be doing again.

Katara’s breath slowed as the adrenaline wore off and her side started to hurt, the young girl entrenched deeply into the thick forest. She knew the woman would be following her, and that she likely would have warned the other firebenders about the rogue waterbender she had found. She also knew that should couldn’t run much longer, she had to eat and drink so she’d have to find somewhere safe to do it. She bit her lip and her eyes slowly trailed up, she had often climbed the wall at home, but she had never tried to climb a tree before. With the wall she could use the snow to help her, with the tree… 

She paused, the tree had water in it, didn’t it? They all had water inside of them, and while she couldn’t really control the water inside people, would trees be so hard? Still, the thought of controlling any sort of living thing, even a plant, made her a bit sick feeling. She would only do it if she really needed to. Slowly, Katara wrapped her hand around one of the branches a bit higher than her head and placed her opposite foot on one of the lower branches. She was unsteady and slow as she climbed, with her spider cat getting but higher than her far quicker, but she knew she would be safe up here. People rarely ever looked up.

Katara settled into a nook of dense branches and started to eat, her grandfather keeping watch on the ground below. She had learned long ago that few but her could see him, she knew some animals could, such as Fan, but she didn’t know if any humans could. She had wondered if the man in red could, but he had never mentioned anything of the sort. Katara closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, was she now a fugitive? Would anyone in red be required to turn her in to the Fire Nation soldiers. She let out a quiet sob, placing her pack against the trunk of the tree and laying her head on it. She just wanted her mom back, singing her to sleep.

 

Katara woke up screaming and a moment later she landed on the ground. Fan scurried down the tree with all eight of her legs and sat on her chest, letting out loud mews and blinking at her with her wide eyes. Katara groaned and sat up, Fan falling from her chest to her lap and curling into a ball that covered her entire lap. Katara gently pushed the cat off and went to climb the tree, her stiff muscles protesting with every branch she pulled herself up onto. Still, she eventually reached her goal and tugged the bag down from the crook of branches she had wedged it in, checking on the food. Thankfully none of the squirrels had gotten to it, so it was all there and untouched. Katara climbed back down, throwing the bag to the ground when she was only a few feet away. She jumped down right after but fell over as she landed, crashing into Fan. The spider cat hissed at her but she gave the cat a tight smile and picked her up in apology, slinging the bag over her shoulder. All throughout this, Roku stood against the tree, his arms crossed as he shook his head at her fondly.

Katara huffed as she placed Fan down next to her and the spider cat stretched all 8 of its legs. She looked out at the city that proclaimed itself Gaoling and she slowly stepped into street, almost being knocked over by a man pushing a cart of cabbages. She scowled and shook her head, crossing the street and looking around the city, it seemed to be prosperous enough after all.

“Katara, you need to find an earthbender.” Katara looked up at her grandfather and blinked at him, nodding. She didn’t understand how an earthbender would be able to teach her, after all, she was just earthbending through waterbending. Katara looked around and shrugged, she would need to find somewhere to rest, hopefully someone would take her in but around here people felt a lot less welcoming than people did on Kyoshi island. Katar wandered aimlessly through the town, looking for an inn or somewhere she could stay, she had a small amount of money with her. Unfortunately, fitting with the atmosphere of the town, there were no inns for a newcomer to stay in, perhaps the people thought that having no inns would force any visitor to pass on by.

 

“Who are you?” Katara startled, looking the young girl that had just spoken with wide eyes. Katara had wandered out towards the edges of the town where there were many large estates but at the same time large mountains and patches of forest. She had figured that if she wouldn’t be able to find an inn she would have been able to find a tree to sleep at the base of. She wasn’t about to climb up another tree and fall out of another tree.  
“Well? What, can you not speak?”

Katara felt her heartbeat speed up and she shook her head quickly, doing small, hesitant hand movements. In the Earth Kingdom they had a form of communication for people that couldn’t speak, Suki and her mother had given her some scrolls with letters and basic words. She was hoping the girl could understand her.

“Huh, you can’t. Come with me, I’m Toph.” Katara felt a hand on her wrist and she was suddenly being dragged towards the biggest house in the neighbourhood.


	4. The Beifongs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lao and Poppy Beifong like to take care of children they deem as unable to take care of themselves.

“Mother, I made a new friend!” Katara watched as Toph’s attitude seemed to change directly from assertive and somewhat blunt to sweet and rather docile. She watched as Toph stared toward the ground and just looked like a quiet, obedient child. “We played together with my animals and tea set but she doesn’t speak so I don’t know her name. Help me?” Her grandfather seemed to snicker at the girl’s change in temperament as the mother sighed and plastered on an indulgent smile.

“Hello, dear. I’m Poppy Beifong. Can you speak?”

Katara shook her head hesitantly and started to form her hands into the symbols that Suki had taught her. Her movements were slow and hesitant, but the mother seemed well educated and seemed to understand.

“Kat-a-ra. Your name is Katara?” At Katara’s nod, she smiled, she was clearly kind, even if her daughter seemed to have a reason to act so differently around her. “Well, that’s a very unique name, Katara! I don’t know how you and Toph managed to become such good friends in only an afternoon when she is blind and you are mute, but how about you stay for some food. Will your parents mind?”

Katara took a deep breath. So Toph couldn’t see her, that’s why she didn’t understand her hand movements. She briefly wondered how Toph could move around so easily, but she could move earth despite being a waterbender, so maybe they were both just special. She smiled at the woman and bowed slightly, her hands signing out.

“You don’t have any parents?” Well, that wasn’t what she had said, but Katara didn’t pout. If Toph felt the need to act in front of her mother then Katara would act as well. Besides, she understood how saying her parents were gone could be taken as her not having any. “You poor dear.” A hand was placed on her back and it was rubbed as she made herself look sad. Or, tried to. Grandfather’s expression made her think it probably looked more like a grimace but Poppy Beifong didn’t notice.

She was taken to a large dining room and seated down across from Toph, the two of them had a staring contest before Katara realized it was silly because Toph couldn’t see her anyway and probably didn’t even realize it was a contest. Toph’s mother came back out with a man who must’ve been her husband. “Katara, this is Toph’s father, Lao. We talked and we decided we’d like you to stay with us. We can help you learn to communicate, and Toph has always wanted a sister! You two look to be about the same age.” Katara was starting to think that Toph’s parents really liked the idea of helping people, even if the two of them didn’t need the help. She looked helplessly to her Grandfather but he just seemed to be finding the situation funny. Katara weighed the benefits and risks on her own. She didn’t like being tied down, and she didn’t want to replace her mother or her father, but she needed to learn to pseudo earthbend according to her grandfather. That and it was getting tiring to be wandering all the time.

‘Yes. Thank you,’ Katara signed, giving them both a smile and as much of a bow as she could while still being seated in the chair. She chewed on her lip, her hands raising again. ‘I have cat.’

“A cat?” The man, Lao, spoke. Katara hopes in another part of her mind that she wouldn’t have to call them mother or father. Not speaking did have its advantages. “Where is your cat, Katara.”

He said that and there was soon a mewling near the window. Katara glanced over and pointed out of it. ‘Fan,’ she signed, getting up and looking out the window, needing to stand on her tiptoes to look out it. She turned back towards them, ‘my cat.’

The man already looked out of his element but Katara could see a faint smile on Toph’s face, her head still bowed. Poppy seemed to be trying to take this in stride. “Lao and I will get you cat for you, Katara, don’t worry. You said his name was Fan?” Katara nodded and she continued, “good. We’ll bring him in and give him a little food. While we do that though, Toph, can you show Katara around a little bit? We’ll get another bed in your room, that way you two can stay together and help each other.” Katara very much doubted either of them needed that, but it’s give them a chance to become more comfortable with each other. Toph didn’t protest either, so she either didn’t mind or wasn’t going to bother complaining about it to her parents. “Afterwards, we’ll eat. I know you must be hungry Katara, but I’m sure your kitty is too.”

Toph grabbed Katara’s hand and lead her into a hallway. Katara momentarily worried for Poppy and Lao’s fates if they considered Fan to be a kitty, but her thoughts were disrupted by Toph beginning to speak.

“You really don’t know what you just got into, do you?” Katara considered responding, but she didn’t know if there was any way for Toph to understand her. “Prepare to be coddled. They don’t let me do anything because they think I’m weak and can’t do anything. You might have it a bit easier but they’ll still do it to you.” The girl sounded bitter so Katara did the only method of communication she knew that worked for both of them. She wrapped her arms gently around Toph and hugged her, stopping them both from walking.

It took a moment for things to continue, but Katara pulled away and Toph seemed to relax slightly, “thanks. Now, can you not do that again?” Katara nodded and Toph somehow seemed to get that because she nodded too. “Good. You know what, this might not be so bad. Maybe since there’s two of us and we cover each other’s _weak_ spots they’ll let us do more stuff. It would be nice to leave the garden.” She said with a huff and Katara could practically feel Toph’s irritation. She then saw Toph smirk, “plus, it’s not like you can really snitch on me, I bet signing it all out would be too much work.”

Katara giggled as they reached the room. “Huh, didn’t realize you could actually make sound. Anyways, this is my room, and I guess soon it’ll be our room.” They walked in and Toph flopped down onto the bed. “I really don’t mind sharing it. I don’t spend a lot of time in here anyway, so it’s too big for just me.” Katara didn’t see anywhere for her to sit. There wasn’t really much in the room, just a single bed, a nightstand with nothing on it, and a rug on the floor. There also seemed to be a few stuffed toys under the bed. A window let some light in, but it was higher than either girl would have the ability to reach. “They’re probably gonna put a bed and some stuff in for you too. Mother loves to shop, so you’ll probably get a ton of toys. Nothing that can hurt us though.” Toph said, the last bit in a mocking imitation of her mother’s voice.

They remained as they were for a minute or two, seemingly enjoying the silence between them. Toph sighed and stood. “Come on, that’s enough time for mother to think I have you a tour. I’ll show you the bathroom on the way back, I don’t mind a little dirt, I actually like it better, but she hates it.” She mumbled, clearly not liking that particular trait of her mother’s. 

They walked back together, Katara getting to poke her head into a bathroom far more elaborate than the wooden tub that her family had used as a bath. They returned to Poppy looking slightly less immaculate, and Lao with a squirming Fan in his arms. Upon seeing Katara, Fan leapt of the man’s arms and over to Katara, purring and rubbing against her legs while similar glaring at the man. Katara gathered the cat that was almost as large as she was up in her arms, hugging him and all 8 of his legs gently as she tried to sign her thanks through his fur. They seemed to get it because they looked like the trip was more worth their troubles now.

“He really didn’t want to come inside, but you two look so happy together now!” Poppy said, smiling widely at them, but it wasn’t a fake smile, just a bit larger than it should be. She placed a dish of fish down next to the table and had them all sit down at the table. “Now, normally we’d all wash up before dinner, but we’re making an exception this time because if Fan is that hungry when he can hunt for himself, you must be starved.”

Almost on command, servants seemed to come and place food before them. It was strange to Katara, who was used to taking her own portion from the stew that was already on the fire or having to scavenge her own food when she was on her own. Even when she had been with Suki, Suki’s mother has doled our small portions to everyone and passed the bowls around, no one she had ever known had had servants. She made a small bow to the servants even if none of the rest of the family did before she dug in. Lao has looked like he was going to correct her on something, but Poppy stopped him. Still, after realizing this Katara slowed down her eating and they both seemed happier with that. She hadn’t realized how hungry she really had been until then.

They were served another course, something else that confused Katara before dinner was finally over. Lao cleared his throat. “Katara, some of the servants have delivered another bed to yours and Toph’s room for you to use. I expect you to wash up before you go to sleep. I also expect you both to be in bed at sundown, alright?” Katara nodded, that seemed reasonable.

Poppy smiled, “I’ll have someone run a bath for you, you just need to wash yourself in it. You can leave the bath water in the tub, a servant will empty it after you’ve finished. You’re about Toph’s size, so I’ll have some of her clothes lain out for you to wear, but I’m sure you’ll grow once you’ve gotten some more food into you. We’ll go shopping for some more clothing for us all, and you can help me pick out Toph’s.”

Katara thought that Poppy and Lao were throwing themselves into this situation very hard and very fast, but as she sunk into the warm bath water and started to scrub the multiple layers of dirty off of her skin, she didn’t really mind. She wasn’t used to having so much water in the tub, especially warm water, so she panicked for a moment when she saw all the water on the floor. She didn’t want to get in trouble. She then remembered that she was a waterbender and just bent the water back into the tub. Katara used the towel to dry her body, but she hated having wet hair so she used some bending to take most of the water out of her hair. She just hoped that the Beifongs wouldn’t notice she was suspiciously dry. Toph’s white nightgown fit her well, as did the slippers she had also been told to wear when she was walking through the halls.

Katara crawled into bed, Toph seemingly already in bed and having been washed up. Were there multiple bathrooms in the one house? “I don’t know if I’ll ever think of you as my sister.”

Katara glanced over at Toph and she was staring at the ceiling, but she must’ve been talking to her. “I think it would be nice to have a friend though. Good night, Katara.”

Katara responded with a silent smile and soon both girls were taken by the embrace of night.


	5. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara starts to meld with the Beifong family and bond with Toph.

Katara had only been living with the Beifongs for a few days when she saw the woman in red again. She and Toph were out with Poppy, looking at fabrics to make some new dresses. Originally Katara had thought that they would just be buying dresses that were already made, but Poppy had said that the dresses wouldn’t fit as well then. Many people seemed to be surprised that the Beifongs even had children, apparently no one had known about Toph either, which Toph hadn’t been surprised about. Still, Toph was happy to have more freedom.

“Katara, make sure you and Toph hold hands and stay together if you’re going to look at something you want, okay? And don’t leave the store.” Katara nodded while she looked around the store. They didn’t have places like this in the South Pole, and all the different varieties of fabric were mesmerizing. The two girls didn’t have a chance to wander far when the door to the shop was pushed open and the woman from before stepped in, flanked by two other soldiers.

“Citizens of Gaoling, we are looking for a waterbender, a young female with blue eyes.” The woman’s voice was sharp and pierced Katara’s ears as she looked down, trying to stay out of her notice. But the woman noticed. “You!” She said and grabbed Katara’s shoulder, her head shooting up in fear. Yellow eyes met blue before someone stepped forward, the woman’s hand falling off of her shoulder.

“Why are you bothering my daughters?” Poppy’s voice had none of the sweetness it had before, it seemed steely.  
“Mrs. Beifong!” The woman seemed startled enough to step back, but her eyes soon narrowed. “I was not aware that you had children, and the blue eyed one looks nothing like you or your husband.”

“Are you insinuating we kidnapped them? We adopted Katara when she was only a baby, Katara is as much a Beifong as I am.” She said sharply, “Katara is mute and Toph is blind, we have only recently decided that it is time to bring the two into society. We didn’t want too much pressure to be on them too soon.”

The woman seemed suspicious but she stepped back further and cleared her throat. “Of course, Mrs. Beifong. I apologize for mistaking your daughter for the girl we are searching for, we were clearly mistaken. Please, go back to your shopping, we will leave you be immediately.” With that, the woman in red turned and left the shop, her soldiers following her.

Katara let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding before both she and Toph were pulled into a bone crushing hug. “Are you two okay? She didn’t hurt you? Honestly, I can’t believe her, what was she thinking.” Poppy shook her head and smoothed both girl’s hair into place, as if it weren’t already perfectly combed and pinned. Katara wore a hairstyle similar to Toph’s, she missed her braid and hair loopies, but Poppy promised that they would try different styles until they found one she liked. “Come, let’s pick up that golden fabric for your matching dresses and then we’ll find you two some new toys.”

With those words, the two were lead first to the front table to collect the fabric and pay, then out into the sunlight. Katara instinctively shielded her eyes, the sun bright and burning. Poppy lead them into multiple shops, getting different fabric for some new bedding for the two girls, then into a different store to get the girls some stuffed animals and a few books about signs for Katara. 

“Our library has many books, but not many on signing. Don’t worry, we’ll find some more for you.” Poppy promised Katara, patting her shoulder gently. “I’m impressed that you can read so well though!” She said when Katara had opened up the books and tried out a few new signs, telling a story of a badgermole in a mountain. When Poppy told her story out loud, Toph had seemed to find it funny, laughing boisterously for a moment before it turned into the quiet giggle that Poppy seemed to prefer from her daughter. They didn’t have to deal with any more red soldiers as they made the short walk back to their estate, and only Katara had to deal with Grandfather threatening the woman in red or telling her that gold looked good on her or snarkily commenting on how she’d make a better Fire Lord than ‘Ozai’, whoever he was.

 

The family was seated at the table for lunch that afternoon, the sun high in the sky and beaming through the many windows. The fabric had been sent off to be made into dresses and bedsheets, and the two girls had been promised that their dresses would be laying at the foot of their beds in the morning. Toph didn’t seem to care, though she had liked the feeling of the fabric, but Katara was excited. She had always had an appreciation for beautiful things. Toph’s new badgermole plushie was already on her bed, as was Katara’s new spider cat stuffie. She had placed it next to Fan, who had been left in her room during the trip to sun himself and sleep. The cat hadn’t seemed to be fond of it, but had ignored it to go back to sleep.

Katara’s mouth was full of dumpling when Poppy spoke over the dinner table. “Katara? Do you know anything about the waterbender girl they were looking for?” It was clear that she was indirectly asking if she was that girl. 

Katara hesitated and shook her head, wiping her hands on a napkin before beginning to sign. ‘No. Bend earth.’ It wasn’t a lie, she really could bend earth, at least a little bit. Toph’s stare seemed to pierce into her, as if she somehow knew that she was lying, but Katara dismissed it with a reminder to herself that Toph was blind.

“Oh, you earthbend? I never would have expected with how blue your eyes are!” This time it was Lao that spoke, a jovial smile on his face as he finished the last of his dumplings and placed his spoon down. It was clear that he and Poppy had talked about it because he didn’t seem at all surprised about her question. “Perhaps it really is fate that you came to us and became Toph’s sister. Toph can earthbend as well, though she hasn’t been trained yet, we’ve been debating if we should or not.”

A choking sound came from Toph and Katara glanced over to see that she was choking on a bite of her dumpling, Poppy gently patting her back. “Oh, Toph, remember, slow down when you’re eating.” She chided gently, wiping her face with a napkin. “Perhaps it would be best for us to get an instructor for the both of you. It would be good to give you two something fun to do together!”

Toph looked kind of happy at that and Katara was happy too. According to her grandfather she had needed someone to teach her earthbending, and if her being taught earthbending would have Toph taught earthbending as well then that was enough to make her nod and sign how much she would like that.

Lao nodded, “good. I’ll find the best earthbending instructor in the city, I want both of my girls to reach their full potential.” Everyone had finished their dumplings so the servants brought out some fresh fruit as it was the height of summer. Katara still wasn’t used to having servants or having such fresh fruit and vegetables, but she found she liked it.

“Oh dear!” Katara’s head shot up at Poppy’s exclamation, a small piece of melon falling out of her mouth. “You two will need some proper clothing if you’ll be learning to earthbend! We can’t have you two getting your proper clothing all dirty. Oh I remember when my brother would earthbend all over the house, he would get dirt and rocks everywhere.” She shook her head, “the three of us will go get you both some pants and blouses for your training.” Both Katara and Toph were excited about this.

 

The two girls lay in their beds as the sun went down, both cuddling up to their new toys, Katara with Fan already asleep on her feet. “You lied to mother and father.” Toph turned toward her and Katara looked at her with confusion. “You told them you could earthbend, but your heart raced when you said it and when that woman came up to you. You’re that waterbender they were looking for. They’ll find out you can’t earthbend when the instructor comes.” Katara frowned, wishing she could protest but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was surprised when her thoughts of how she could explain her situation were interrupted by Toph’s voice. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you. I’m actually a pretty good earthbender already. I’ve gotten used to having you around.”

Katara was touched, but she was still annoyed. She did have an idea though. She focussed, it would be hard because the stone of their floor didn’t have much moisture in it, but she got a few pebbles to fly up and hit Toph in the shoulder. Toph was silent for a moment before she spoke again, “You didn’t throw that. You can earthbend.” Katara flicked her wrist and some water shot from a glass on her bedside table to Toph, splattering lightly over her cheek. “And you can waterbend.”

They stayed silent for a minute or two, Katara laying there nervously as Toph thought. “That’s pretty cool.” She eventually said, maybe a bit grudgingly. “You gotta show me more tomorrow though, in the garden.” Toph yawned and rubbed her eyes, “I’m gonna go to sleep. Night, ‘Tara.” She said, rolling over and leaving Katara to her thoughts. That had gone better than she predicted, and Toph had even offered to cover for her. Katara allowed herself a small smile as she pulled her blanket higher and went to sleep.


	6. Earthbending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems Toph knows more about Katara than she knows about herself.

“Katara, focus!” Katara let out a breath and nodded, fixing her stance and focussing back on the rock in front of her and the water inside of it. Toph had been found to be some sort of an earthbending prodigy, Katara was good too, but she was nowhere near the level that Toph was. She lifted the rock and at that moment she was being shot at with stone disks. She could barely keep up, raising walls of stone by the water inside them and blocking the stone, but she wasn’t fast enough. A disk hit her in the shoulder and she gritted her teeth. It wasn’t part of the exercise for her to fight back, but she was so frustrated she couldn’t even remember that, raising fragmented stone pieces from the ground around her and flinging them back in retaliation. She was just so angry, so frustrated she was letting it overcome her as the instructor had to turn to focus on defending herself.

“Katara, stop!” Poppy’s stern words were enough to break her from her sort of trance and Katara collapsed onto her knees, sobbing into her dark green pants. She couldn’t do it, it was so hard for her, she knew she was disappointing her grandfather even if he constantly said that he was proud of her. Bending the water in the rocks was too hard, she had to focus twice as much to bend that rather than just the water. She knew there was a reason that people only bended one element, maybe it was just a well known secret that everyone could bend multiple but they had just agreed to not because it was too hard.

Toph sat beside her, huffing. “Hey, princess.” She said and Katara sniffled, looking over at the girl that had become her sister in the scant two weeks she had been here. “Lets go to the garden.” The instructor didn’t seem to know what to do as the girls just walked out of the class, but the look from Poppy Beifong was enough for her to not make a fuss about it and just let them go.

The two of them sat down in the grass next to the pond, watching turtle ducks float around. “I want you to waterbend for me.” Katara looked over at Toph, her confusion must have been palpable in the air because Toph continued talking. “Just do it, princess.”

Katara huffed flicking her wrist and splashing Toph with a bit of water but she didn’t seem to mind, laughing instead. Katara managed a small smile at that as she started to push the water back and forth in the pond, at one point creating a current under the baby turtle ducks to move them around. She started to calm down, feeling a lot better about herself.

“Look at that, well, I can’t, but you can. You waterbend, Kat, so what you’re having trouble with earthbending? You’re already like a waterbending prodigy or something, chill.” Her words were said in a rather blunt tone but it warmed Katara’s heart and she pulled Toph into a gentle hug. Toph wrinkled her nose, “yeah, yeah.” Katara let go of her and huffed quietly, laying back in the soft grass, not even caring if it would stain her cream shirt.

“Thank you.” Her voice was a whisper, a little rough from years of disuse. Normally she couldn’t speak but she didn’t know how else she could really express her gratitude to Toph. Toph was the first person she felt like she wanted to talk to since her mother died.

“No problem.” Toph didn’t seem surprised at her talking, instead flopping down beside her and floating a ball of mud up above her, forming it into different shapes. Katara smiled and did the same, sighing at how easy it was to manipulate the water saturated earth. The children just laid there together until Poppy called them both inside to wash up and eat dinner.

“Are you feeling better, Katara?” Poppy asked her as she brushed her thick brown hair, braiding it back, slowly adding bits of hair to the braid. So far, this hairstyle had been Katara’s favourite of those that were relatively common in the earth kingdom, though she still liked her old water tribe style with her hair loopies best of all. She nodded after the braid was twisted into a bun and a beautiful hairpin with a flower stuck in to cold it in place.

‘Yes.’ She signed, turning around to face Poppy. ‘Bending hard,’ she explained, ‘need more practice.’

Poppy hummed and nodded, “Yes, I think that would be good, Instructor Miyuki did say that you two would likely have to practice outside of her lessons.” She said as Katara shifted over for Toph to have her hair done, though Toph’s style was much less elaborate than her own.

‘Garden walks?’ Katara suggested, thinking that perhaps Toph could help her with her earthbending on their regular morning walks. Poppy didn’t usually join them, she was too busy getting the house in order at that time of day. Katara and Toph would both rather be sleeping then, but Poppy and Lao were adamant that the two girls learned to rise with the sun as “that was when the most work can be done.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Katara.” Poppy smiled and looked down to Toph. “Toph, could you help Katara with her earthbending on your morning walks? Miyuki says that you’re somewhat of a prodigy, but I would hate to split up your classes together.”

Toph nodded, “I can do that.” She said, to Katara she seemed a bit surprised that she mother acknowledged her earthbending prowess. “Katara’s good at bending, but she doesn’t command the earth enough, I think.”

Poppy laughed, “yes, you are very commanding, aren’t you, Toph?” Katara knew that before she had come Toph had acted much like her parents wanted her to, docile and fragile. But Toph had been being a lot more assertive now because she was the voice for both herself and Katara, and while both Poppy and Lao had been taken aback by it in the beginning, they were starting to come around to it. She had even heard Lao talking about bringing the two girls around to meet his employees because they would be the ones to one day inherit his business. Katara knew that he meant Toph, she didn’t mind that, she had different plans in life and wouldn’t be very good at running a business anyways.

“Toph is a very good earthbender.” Katara turned to look at her grandfather. It was the first time she had heard him speak in front of the Beifongs, though he had been an almost constant presence. Katara nodded in agreement as she pulled Fan into her lap, petting the spider cat gently.

“Who said that?” Katara looked at Toph, her eyes wide. Could Toph hear her grandfather?

“No one said anything, sweetheart. Perhaps you heard some of the servants speaking in the other room, I know your hearing is very good.”

Toph didn’t seem convinced and she seemed to be staring right at Grandfather even if she couldn’t see. Still, she spoke. “Of course, mother. That makes sense.” 

 

Soon the two girls had eaten dinner and were left alone again in their room, Katara working on some embroidery that Poppy had given her after she found out that she enjoyed working with a needle and thread. “I know it wasn’t the servants, it was a man’s voice, none of our servants sound like him.”

Katara sighed but surprisingly Grandfather answered. “So you can hear me then, Toph? Interesting. My name is Roku, I’m Katara’s grandfather, most can’t see me or hear me.” Katara looked up at him and sighed, stretching out. This would be interesting.

“Like the Avatar?” At her grandfather’s nod, Toph sighed, “of course, that makes sense, doesn’t it. So you’re telling me that Katara is…”

“Yes, she is.” Katara was a bit confused by this exchange, but she figure Toph was just confirming that she was the daughter of the Avatar. Katara knew that Grandfather was the Avatar after all, though she had never really been sure what the Avatar was other than it being a very important role. 

“Huh.” Toph seemed done with the conversation, clicking her tongue. Fan purred at the call and hopped from Katara’s lap over to Toph’s. 

Poppy peaked her head into the room, the light from the setting sun reflecting off her kind smile. “Get in bed, girls.” She said, tucking them both in and brushing Toph’s hair out of her eyes even if it wasn’t needed. She pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads. “Lao can’t step away from his work tonight, but I bring his good night wishes with me too.” She said, gently setting the cat down at the foot of Katara’s bed and placing both girls’ stuffed animals into their arms. “Sleep well, Toph, Katara.” The blinds were closed and Poppy slipped out the door.

Katara was nearly asleep when she heard Toph’s footsteps hit the ground gently and the younger girl was grabbing her hand and tugging her out of bed. “Come on.” Katara could do nothing but let Toph pull her along as the window was opened and the two snuck through.

Soon they were running through the garden in their nightgowns, feet bare. Katara was stumbling and tripping. She huffed and forced Toph to stop. “What?” 

The earthbender turned to Katara, tilting her head and Katara could do nothing but bring Toph’s fingers to gently touch her eyelids. 

“You can’t see?” Toph laughed quietly. “Wonder how that feels. Come on, we’ll slow down.” And they did, Toph keeping a tight grip on Katara’s hand as she led her to the pond once again, the moon providing a small amount of light that had been previously blocked by trees and various shrubbery.

Katara looked to Toph, a quiet huff easily expressing her exasperation and Toph sighed. “I’m teaching you to earthbend, princess. Don’t worry, I won’t take too much of your beauty sleep.” Toph shifted into a solid earthbending stance and Katara followed suit, something that made Toph smile slightly. “You’ve gotta order the earth around. It’s not like water, the earth will only obey if you order it.”

Katara hesitated, she couldn’t actually earthbend, all she was able to do was bend the water in the earth. 

“Don’t think about it, just do it! Hurl a rock at me, make a wall, something. I know you can do it, princess.” And so that was what Katara did, acting on instinct and trying to toss a rock at Toph. It wasn’t really a rock, more a pebble, but it flung towards Toph without Katara having to focus on the water inside. She looked down at her hands, just blinking at them. It didn’t feel like it did when she normally earthbended, instead it felt… more like it had when she had gotten frustrated and had tossed the disk shards back at Instructor Miyuki.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Toph said, a wide grin on her face, almost bouncing in her excitement. “Okay, again!”

 

Despite Toph having promised Katara that she wouldn’t lose any beauty sleep, Katara had been feeling oddly energized and Toph was so excited that the two had ended up bending all through the night. By the time the sun rose and they were found, Katara had begun to learn to see like Toph did, through the earth.

“Katara, Toph!” Poppy and Lao were running, the former lifting her dress to keep from tripping on it. “Oh I’m so glad you’re both okay.” Poppy knelt before them, hugging them both. “Why are you out of your rooms, did something happen? You two are still in your nightgowns.”

Katara was too taken aback to respond, but thankfully Toph was the one with the voice anyway. “Kat wanted to see the sunrise.” She responded, putting the right amount of guilt into her voice. “We didn’t want to worry you, but we were already awake so we figured we’d go.”

Katara nodded and quickly signed, ‘sorry.’ 

Lao let out a relieved sigh, “that does make sense, I bet you used to watch the sunrise often, didn’t you, Katara?” He said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

“You’re so muddy though?” Poppy seemed to not believe it as easily.

“We wanted to practice a bit of earthbending, mother. Katara was really excited about it, and you mentioned that we should practice on our morning walks.”

Poppy sighed as they began to walk back to the house. “I suppose I did, didn’t I? I just didn’t expect it to be so early.”

Katara giggled and the mood lifted as the girls went to go clean up and get dressed. Their day went normally and that night both girls were already asleep in their beds when Poppy and Lao went to tuck them in.

“Our girls are so responsible and so committed to their studies.” Lao said to his wife as they both went to sleep, neither aware of what had actually happened.


	7. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara invents braille.

Katara giggled as Toph tied a blindfold over her eyes. “Hey! Stop squirming! This is hard enough already.” She tied it tight before stepping away to let Katara stand. Katara stumbled for a moment without her sight before remembering  _ why  _ she was blindfolded and steadying herself, focussing and letting herself see through the earth. She froze and stomped, raising a wall of earth just in time to block a boulder that Toph had thrown at her. And just like that, the battle was on, Toph attacking and Katara defending. But that wasn’t the point of the exercise.

“Fight back, Katara!” Toph yelled back and Katara ground her teeth, spinning to face Toph and throwing a boulder at her only to get hit with a few stone disks as Toph dodged with a single step. She huffed, she had let herself get distracted. The water started to churn in the nearby pond but a stern voice stopped that thought.

“No cheating, Katara. You are training your earthbending–” Katara stepped out of the way of a wall of rocks stabbing up from the earth, Roku allowing them to just pass right through him. “Not your waterbending. Focus.”

Katara sighed, she couldn’t use her waterbending, but she could use waterbending techniques. She lifted thousands of tiny pebbles and created something that looked similar to her water whips, flicking them at Toph, time and time again, forcing her to block or step away. She was finally starting to gain ground but she got too excited, Toph rolled out of the way instead of stepping back into the hole she had created. She had forgotten yet again how good of an earthbender her sister was. 

“Sorry, princess. You’re gonna have to try harder than that.” Toph said, raising herself up onto a pillar of stone and dropping boulders down onto Katara.

The elder girl protected herself with a sheet of stone, boulders crumbling down around her. Two could play that game. She rose herself and started hopping pillar to pillar, getting closer to Toph. Toph was flinging more and more boulders at her to try and knock her off, but Katara was getting an idea. Instead of blocking them or dodging, she took control of them and added them to an orbit of boulders she had spinning around her. She had an idea, she just needed to get lucky, and lucky she did.

“Hey! Where are you?” That was the one problem by using earthbending to see, Toph could see her dropping through the air. Katara landed on the ground next to Toph, who had since moved off her pillar. Toph spun around and raised a stone disk but it was two late, Katara tackled her and pinned her down. Toph struggled, but the two of them had wrestled before and Katara knew just how her sister fought.

“Time! Katara, you’ve won.” Instructor Miyuki walked forward as Katara rolled off of Toph and both girls stood. Katara slipped the blindfold off and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the brightness of the midday sun. “You both fought well, Toph, good idea in mocking Katara. You broke her focus a few times. Katara, good job taking advantage of Toph’s weaknesses.” Toph and Katara both bowed to her and Miyuki smiled. “Now, you two are very muddy, and I’m sure your mother is just itching to get you two into a bath. Class dismissed.” 

Katara turned over to Toph and gasped when mud covered fingers were smeared across her face. “That’s for that little trick!” Toph said only to get tackled into the mud, dirtying them both even more. “Nice fight through.”

“Toph! Katara!” Poppy was walking over. Her arms certainly would have been crossed in addition to her pursed lips had she not been carrying her long skirt to avoid dirtying it. “Come on, both of you, up. Instructor Miyuki was right, I really do want to get you two into a bath.”

Katara had convinced Toph to tell her parents how she saw eight months into her year of staying with the Beifongs and Toph had been much happier since then. The Beifongs tested it, of course, but upon realizing that Toph really could see in a way they had allowed her even more freedom. This meant that Katara and Toph could easily go to town together and Katara and Toph could get more of the sweet buns that they loved. It also meant that they were less paranoid about leaving the girls alone. Katara and Toph used this time to their advantage, practicing Katara’s waterbending and further developing Toph’s earthbending.

It was getting colder out, so both girls were happy to sink into the warm bathwater, Katara taking the moment of privacy to use a little waterbending. She bent a sphere of water around Toph’s hair so she wouldn’t have to dunk her head underwater, the flowing water contained by her bending abilities easily removing all dirt and mud from her hair.

“Thank, ‘Tara.” Toph said, just sitting in the water. She didn’t like baths as much as Katara, citing that she felt much more comfortable covered in the earth she bent. 

Katara nodded, cleaning herself up and helping Toph out of the bath as well. They dressed themselves and Katara had Toph sit before her so that she could do her hair. Katara liked having more independence, she had gotten used to doing things on her own after she left home, so it had been weird to be coddled for eight months. She had even had more freedom in the south pole, though her brother had always been with her then. Thinking of Sokka made her a little sad. She really missed him and her father, but she had to leave.

Katara quickly braided her hair over her shoulder and stood, walking over to the small bookshelf that had been added to their room a few months ago. Katara loved to read and the Beifongs had nurtured that love of reading. They had also given the girls clay to play with, something that Toph had liked a lot more than Katara. Still, Katara had found one use for it. She pulled a tablet with little raised dots that she had made out of clay a few weeks ago out from behind the books, bringing it over to Toph.

“More of this? I still don’t get why you want me to read so much.”

Katara smiled and handed her another tablet, this one having been made only the night before. Toph huffed and placed one hand on the new tablet, the other on the old one they had made, the alphabet. Toph had listened in on Katara’s lessons, so she knew the order of the letters and what each one sounded like.

Toph hummed, “I? L O V E. Lu O ve? Oh!” Toph grinned, “I admit that’s pretty cool. I love you too, even if you are a dork.” Katara grinned and handed her another tablet from under her bed. Toph rose an eyebrow, “How many of these do you have? Okay, fine.” she said when Katara jabbed her with a finger. She ran her fingers over the dots, searching for the corresponding one on the alphabet tablet. “N O W. Now we can… taa-luk? Talk.” Toph nodded, pushing the tablet away. “So that’s why you wanted to do this then. You wanted to be able to tell me stuff easier?”

Katara smiled and nodded. She knew she should show this to Poppy and Lao, they’d be amazed by it, but she just wanted to keep it between her and Toph for now. They could refine it and they’d be able to help other blind people.

“You don’t have any more? Good, I don’t want to read any more.” Toph stuck her tongue out at Katara and she rolled her eyes in response. A bell chimed and both girls jumped up, lunch. “I’ll race you!” Toph yelled, already running and Katara chased after her. Toph was such a cheater.

“Why are you running in the house?” Lao’s voice stopped them before they could enter the dining room, neck in neck.

“Well, we just wanted to–”

Katara cut her off by darting into the dining room with a quick sign of, ‘food race,’ quickly sitting herself down.

“Hey! You cheated!” Toph followed after her as Lao shook his head at his daughters’ antics. He wanted them to grow into proper young ladies, but he also knew that he had to let them be children once in a while. Let them play in the mud and let them race to the dining room table. Poppy was already seated and smiling fondly at them.

“Good, you’re both here now. We’re having steamed rice with salted fish for lunch. Katara, we managed to cook up some of those stewed prunes you said you liked?” 

Katara grinned widely, signing her thanks. She had told Poppy of her craving for stewed prunes and she had found some from a few traders that had come down from the North Pole! She wasn’t sure why they had been so far south, but seeing the blue had been amazing for her. She had been wearing her mother’s necklace that day as well, one of traders had seen it and looked confused, but they had been given a discount for everything they got, including the fabric and pelts. Perhaps that had been why.

The family ate, Lao liked the stewed prunes but Toph abhorred them. “They’re all mushy,” she complained and just ate her rice. Katara thought that the fish were a little bland and agreed with Toph that the stewed prunes were too mushy. She asked Poppy if she could help the servants next time they cooked and Poppy had said she could, saying that maybe she could show they how they should cook the prunes. Still, the lunch was nice and light and before long they were all dressed in travelling clothes.

“Can we get some clay at the market, mother?” Toph asked, knowing that Katara probably had used all their remaining clay making her tablets. 

“I don’t see why not.” she said, adjusting Toph’s waistband before the five set off into the city. Their home was a bit far from the marketplace, but they all enjoyed the walk. Fan enjoyed it the most, frequently darting ahead to try and catch the various birds on the road. Poppy gasped when she actually caught one, but Fan did let it go, content to just play around rather than actually hunt. Katara and Toph were allowed to go search the marketplace while Poppy and Lao bartered with the shopkeepers. Contrary to the last time they came, people now greeted them happily and freely, knowing the two girls to be friendly and well integrated into their society.

Katara and Toph stepped into a small shop, it was incredibly warm and filled with an earthy smell that they knew to be clay.

“Hello, girls.” The shopkeeper, an old man with crows feet and smile lines smiled down at them. “Just look around and pick out what clay you want, I’ll package it up for you.”

Katara smiled and gave the man a small bow as she walked over to a pretty red clay. She would squeeze Toph’s hand if she liked how it looked and Toph would tell her if she liked how it felt. Katara squeezed Toph’s hand but she shook her head. “No. Too crumbly.” And so they moved on.

In the end, the two picked out a more orange clay that was nice and smooth as well as a grey clay that was cheap and thick that Toph liked to sculpt with and Katara liked to use to make her tablets. Katara also picked up a small metal instrument with a ball on the top, wondering if she could use it to better make her tablets.

“Is that all?” The man asked, grabbing them their desired amount and telling them the price. Katara nodded and placed the small metal coins on the wooden countertop, smiling at the clinks they made as they hit each other. Katara placed the clay and the instrument into her leather satchel that hung across her body as they stepped back out into the busy streets. 

Katara could see that the traders from the North Pole were still here, though their stock had dwindled since they last saw. A part of her was drawn to go towards them, but she knew that she shouldn’t. Not now. Grandfather seemed to agree, leading her to the shop where the adult Beifongs were still bartering, though it seemed the price had dropped a good amount.

“Deal!” Katara almost jumped at Lao’s loud time as he placed the coins into the tired store owner’s hand. He turned to look at the girls, handing them each a small piece of candy. “Have a wonderful day, sir.”

There were Fire Nation soldiers in the marketplace when they walked out. Katara quickly hid her necklace in her bag. She looked a lot more like she belonged now, in her Earth Kingdom clothing and hairstyle, but that necklace was definitely Water Tribe.

Lao sighed, “Come along girls, let’s go see what’s going on.” Katara didn’t think this was a good idea, but of course she didn’t voice this. “Excuse me, sir. Can I ask what’s happening?”

The soldier turned, looking over the small family. His eyes lingered a little longer over the barely 10 year old girl who held her spider cat in her arms, looking down at it and petting it. He turned back to the patriarch of the family. “Simply a routine sweep of the city, making sure there are no thieves.” With those words he marched off, presumably to look for thieves. Katara didn’t pay any mind to him, she was too busy looking at a different soldier. The Beifongs has explained more to her about the Fire Nation and their assault on Ba Sing Se. They didn’t seem to be too worried, stating that they’d be fine. This she didn’t know this soldier, but he seemed familiar. When Poppy and also started to move away, Katara slipped into the crowd and moved towards that young soldier.

The soldier turned around to see a young girl staring up at him. “Hello?” 

Katara placed Fan down on the ground and began to sign, really hoping he knew the language. ‘Hello.’ She didn’t know what else to say, something had drawn her to him.

He sighed and crouched down to her level. “You can’t speak, can you? I’m Lu Ten, where’s your family?”

Katara smiled and signed her name out for him before looking around and shrugging. She didn’t know, but she’s find them.

Lu Ten didn’t seem to have such a nonchalant attitude. He took his helmet off and held it under his arm, holding her hand with his other. “I’ll help you find them.”

It wasn’t a hard ordeal. The Beifongs has noticed rather quickly and were looking for their wayward child. Katara was quickly swept up in a hug by Poppy, one that she easily leaned into, feeling a little guilty. She realized that they were probably scared for her, but she was just curious.

“Thank you very much, sir…” Katara peeked through Poppy’s dark hair to see Lao talking to Lu Ten.

“Just call me Lu Ten. She must have come to me because she thought I could help. Lucky too, I don’t think any of the other soldiers speak that dialect of sign.”

Katara blinked, were there different versions of sign language? Lao nodded, “we taught her the version standard for the Earth Kingdom, I wasn’t aware that the Fire Nation has a different one. You must come over for dinner, you have our thanks.”

Little did Katara or anyone else know that in that moment fate changed. The old man that she had met so long ago in her village that had given her trinkets she always had with her would be less sad, an impenetrable city would be penetrated, and the young man that she had felt so drawn to would live longer than the few months he was supposed to.


	8. Tell Your Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara tells her story.

Lu Ten looked a little bit odd sitting at the table with them. His red clothing and armour contrasted with the soft greens, creams, and browns of their home. Katara didn’t mind that though, her blue eyes didn’t quite fit in either. Her grandfather seemed to stare at him rather intently, but he didn’t say anything to Katara so she assumed he was safe. Somethings in the corner of her eye she seemed to see someone else standing beside Grandfather, but whenever she looked straight at the glimmer of light it would disappear.

“Yes, both of our daughters are earthbenders. We’re very proud of them.” Poppy spoke and Katara listened, but she was too busy trying to figure out the mystery that was the man sitting across from her, barely a man, but still a man.

“Ah. I’m a firebender, just like everyone in my family. We were a little doubtful about my little cousin originally, but he’s really grown into himself and started to learn to firebend as well.” Lu Ten sipped the broth from his spoon, seeming to be considering something. “I’m actually on my way to Ba Sing Se to join my father in the siege.”

Lao nodded, “Ah, is your father a general? He must have high expectations of you.” Both Poppy and Lao seemed calm, so Katara guessed that they would be fine if Ba Sing Se was taken or not. They had told her as such before, but she had never really believed it until this moment.

Lu Ten laughed, a light in his eyes. “Yes. My father is General Iroh, so I would say so.” Iroh. Katara almost dropped her chopsticks, staring at Lu Ten with wide eyes. She remembered the warmth, the small game piece and the scrap of paper. She did her very best to look calm as she rose from the table, trying to make it seem as if she simply had to go to the bathroom. She had to look at something.

“Ah! High expectations indeed…” Katara heard Lao’s voice as she walked to her room, searching through her bag, first placing the pai sho piece down beside her and then holding the paper in the light. The writing had become slightly worn and she hadn’t been able to read it at the time when she’d been given it, but she could read it now. Iroh. She placed it into the pocket of her shirt and went to the bathroom, washing to her hands to make it seem as if that was the only place she had been after she left the room. She took her spot back beside Toph, who seemed somewhat suspicious, and continued to eat.

“So, Katara, what do you like to do?” Lu Ten’s question was directed at her and she floundered for a moment before raising her hands.

‘Read. Sculpt. Bend.’ She tilted her head and shrugged, ‘Sew.’ She would have to show him the paper after dinner. She couldn’t just let him leave without him seeing it.

Lu Ten nodded, his eyes narrowing minutely, and only for a moment. Maybe he thought something was off with Katara’s answer. She didn’t know. She didn’t ask.

And soon enough, dinner was over. Lao and Poppy had left to go speak to the servants, trusting Lu Ten enough already to leave him with their two daughters. Perhaps it was not as much their trust in Lu Ten, but their trust in their daughters’ abilities. Katara took this as her chance.

She placed the piece of paper into Lu Ten’s hand and she could see his eyes narrow as she tried to figure it out. “This is my father’s name. In his handwriting.” There was conflict in his expression, and she hesitantly shuffled back, just in the slightest. “Have you met him?”

Katara nodded, signing slowly. ‘Young. South Pole. Spicy treat. Pai sho.”

Lu Ten blinked as he tried to translate her signing into a story that would explain it. “You met him when you were younger, you lived in the South Pole?” Katara nodded, knowing that it didn’t coincide with her parents’ usual story, but to Lu Ten they had never mentioned when they adopted Katara. “Spicy treat? Oh, did he give you candy?” Katara nodded and Lu Ten laughed. It was warm, she didn’t feel like that laugh would hurt her. “And he gave you a pai sho piece when he left.” Lu Ten knelt in front of her. It was odd to see him below her, but he was smiling and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Right. Well, my father must have seen something special in you if he gave you that pai sho piece.” His voice got quieter, “perhaps because you were an earthbender in the South Pole.” There was a glimmer in his eyes and Katara was scared for a moment, he seemed to realize that she was not just an earthbender. From behind him, Grandfather stared fiercely at the back of his head, as if his next decision would form his entire opinion on Lu Ten. “Don’t worry, I won’t mention it to anyone else. I tire of this war, it is all I have ever known.”

Lu Ten reached out to ruffle her hair, messing up the braids that she had so carefully plaited together. “I will tell my father then. Perhaps after Ba Sing Se falls he would like to see the girl he met in the South Pole once again.” His voice was no longer a soft whisper, but it didn’t boom either. Katara didn’t know how to respond other than with a smile and to go back to Toph.

Toph seemed to stare into her soul, which she knew was impossible not just because Toph was blind, but because people couldn't stare into the souls of others. “We’ve gotta have a talk tonight, princess.” Katara nodded as she sat down onto the cushion with Toph and two hands full of strings were held out to her. “Cat’s cradle?”

The Beifongs returned and Lu Ten left after thanking them all for their hospitality. “He seemed like a very respectful young man. I never expected the grandson of the Firelord to be treated just as another soldier by the army, but he seems better for it.” Lao said as he tucked Katara into bed, Poppy doing the same for Toph.

“Yes. And he did make me think, perhaps it may be better if Ba Sing Se does fall. After all, with all this war their economy has started to collapse, and there have always been such rumours about how the city stays so happy.” Poppy looked concerned, but within a moment the expression was wiped from her face. “Ah well, that is not something to think about so close to bedtime. Goodnight, Toph.” Her and Lao switched places and Poppy placed a kiss on Katara’s forehead. “Goodnight, Katara. Sleep well, both of you.”

Katara and Toph closed their eyes and waited. The footsteps faded away and each girl counted to six in their heads with long pauses between before sliding out of bed, Katara’s feet clad in woolen socks, Toph’s bare. “Alright, princess.” A wad of clay was pushed towards her. “Explain.

And explain, she did. She told Toph everything, making more precise, small raised dots in the clay with her tool and drying it by sucking the water out with her bending. While Toph read, Katara would create another tablet. It seemed like her story was endless, but eventually it did end.

“Alright, so let me get this straight.” Toph said as she placed the last tablet down, Katara’s hands now idly making a small clay sculpture of Fan, said spider cat laying on her bed. The moon was high in the sky, casting deep shadows over them. “You’re from the South Pole, a waterbender, you met  _ General Iroh _ when he came to your tribe and you were the only one that interacted with him. Your mother was killed in front of you. You ran away when you were 9–”

‘I left.’ Katara wrote out, her hands covered in clay as she passed the small tablet over.

“Okay, you left. You got Fan on some random island place. You met the Warriors of Kyoshi, they taught you the beginnings of sign language. You ran into a Fire Nation soldier, and that’s how you ended up in my garden. And now you can earthbend.” Toph sighed as she crossed her arms. “You don’t realize you’re the Avatar, do you?”

Katara shrugged as she made a yet another small tablet, indenting it with her tool.

“You really don’t know what the Avatar is, do you? Ugh, how do you not? The Avatar is the only person that can bend all four elements.” Toph leaned forward, “you think you’re bending the water in the earth, and maybe you were once, but now you’re bending the earth, Kat. The Avatar is supposed to bring harmony. You’re supposed to bring harmony, princess.”

Katara stared at her, looking over to Grandfather and piercing him with a look. But he didn’t say anything. Toph was right, she was telling the truth. She was the Avatar, her job was to bring harmony, even if she didn’t really know what harmony was or what it was supposed to be. She pulled little pieces of half dried clay off her hands, not sure what to say, or do, or anything. The silence in the room was pushing in on her. It was getting hard to breath. She didn’t know she was shaking until she felt Toph’s arms wrapping around her and she could feel her shaking stop.

“Princess. You won’t be doing this alone.” Toph snorted and grinned widely, “you’d crash and burn without me.” Toph wasn’t the type for hugging, but it felt really nice and it helped Katara calm, allowing her to look up at Toph without the risk of tearing up. “Come on. Tonight we’ll see if you’ve mastered earthbending. And if you did… well. Dad liked to tell me stories about the Avatar when I was really little. He told me that the Avatar has to master the elements in an order. So you’ve gotta learn firebending next.”

Katara buried her bare feet in the mud. It had rained lightly while Lu Ten had been having dinner with them, so Katara was in her element, quite literally. Water and earth were all around her. She felt confident. “Remember, Kat. No waterbending.” This was her only warning before a globe of mud was thrown towards her and she rolled out of the way, dirtying the tunic and pants she had changed into. She didn’t have time to worry about how hard it would be to get out, all she had time to deal with was the fight. She clenched her fists and stomped, a pillar rising out of the earth below Toph, the other girl only barely stepping out of the way in time to be able to avoid being flung into the air.

It was a clash of powers and wits, it was push and pull. Toph attacked and Katara would turn her attack back on her or dodge. The fight seemed endless, but it was just as endless as Katara’s story had been, it wasn’t. No one won the fight. The fight ended with Katara and Toph both collapsed into the mud, laughing and exhausted. From above them, Roku smiled and tilted his head. “As the previous Avatar, I think it is well within my power to tell you, Katara, that you’ve mastered earthbending. You’re half way through your journey. Well, almost.”

Katara looked up at Roku and tilted her head. Almost? Her grandfather didn’t elaborate, and the two girls got up, Katara’s waterbending washing them and their clothing and drying them as well. They snuck back to their room, fully unaware of their mother watching them under the moonlight from her bedroom window. Poppy turned and slipped back into bed, closing her eyes. Her girls had been keeping secrets from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. School is hectic, not sure when the next update will be. I just realized I had this one backlogged, so enjoy!


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